#tbt to last month’s Levitt Celebration Dinner!

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  • (Individuals listed from left to right in each photo)
    Barry Lichterman, Levitt Memphis Board Member & President Emeritus; Patti Diou, Levitt Arlington Executive Director

Today on our blog we’re looking back at one of our most festive 2018 gatherings to date, this year’s Levitt Celebration Dinner! Last month, Friends of Levitt leadership, staff and board members from Levitt cities came together in Los Angeles to celebrate the national Levitt network’s impact in communities. The energy in the room was palpable, as dedicated Levitt representatives from across the country exchanged ideas and shared their Levitt experiences with one another. Enjoy the slideshow!

Tour dates announced for the 2018 Levitt National Tour

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In case you missed it, the tour dates for the upcoming Levitt National Tour were just announced! We’re less than 10 weeks before this highly anticipated collaboration of old-school gospel, blues and southern rock—between Southern raconteur Paul Thorn and GRAMMY Award winning legends Blind Boys of Alabama—treat Levitt audiences to seven FREE concerts around the country. And with Paul Thorn’s new album that released today, Don’t Let The Devil Ride, what better time to get a taste of the exhilarating, soulful blend of Thorn and the Blind Boys’ music that’s headed your way?

Billed as the “Mission Temple Fireworks Revival,” this year’s Levitt National Tour is a celebration of the deep connection between Thorn and the Blind Boys of Alabama, as well as a testament to the rich tapestry of southern American music. With individual sets by each artist as well as side-by-side performances, the universally cherished sounds of Thorn and the Blind Boys will fill the air, coast to coast, on the Levitt National Tour.

See below for each tour stop date (and watch the above video to get a glimpse of the fun ahead)! Plus, make sure you dive into the rich story behind this one-of-a-kind collaboration, learn about Paul Thorn’s latest, soulful album, and catch up on what makes Blind Boys of Alabama a groundbreaking icon in gospel music. 

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Get ready for St. Patty’s Day with The Kildares!

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St. Patrick’s Day is upon us! Get into the spirit for tomorrow’s holiday with The Kildares‘ festive curtain call performance at Levitt Pavilion Arlington in 2016. Enjoy The Kildares doing what they do best—seamlessly fusing cutting-edge rock and traditional Celtic music to create a lively, eclectic sound that’s uniquely their own. These innovative Celtic rockers are no strangers to Levitt stages, with one performance at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks and EIGHT performances at Levitt Pavilion Arlington under their belts. In the mood for more celebratory music? You’re in luck. Check out our St. Patty’s day playlist, featuring a wide range of artists who’ve graced Levitt stages across the country!

Celebrate International Women’s Day with a “Women of Levitt” playlist!

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Today is International Women’s Day, and folks around the country are paying homage to the achievements of female leaders, thinkers and changemakers in American history! As we also find ourselves in the middle of Women’s History Month, what better time to pay closer attention to the importance of gender diversity in music. As a foundation dedicated to and passionate about the voice of women in arts and culture, we’ve put together an inspiring “Women of Levitt” Spotify playlist with music by just some of the female artists who have performed on Levitt stages across the country! 

Women artists have been at the forefront of some of the most memorable Levitt concerts ever. Whether it’s soulful legends like Mavis Staples and the late and great Sharon Jones, or artists like vocal powerhouse Ruthie Foster, recently honored by the coveted United States Awards, Levitt stages represent the achievements of countless female artists, both seasoned and contemporary. Check out the playlist and sample the mighty sounds of the “Women of Levitt!”

Faces of Levitt: Jim Douglas

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Today’s Faces of Levitt video features Arlington, TX, resident and former WFAA news reporter, Jim Douglas. As a member of Levitt Pavilion Arlington’s Advisory Board, Douglas contributes his time and talents to a nonprofit he describes as “one of the best things that has ever happened to [his] city.” Check out his video to discover why he feels free, live music at Levitt Pavilion Arlington makes you “feel like you’re living in the America that we want to live in.”

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Levitt Love Songs playlist!

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It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air! Whether you’re celebrating with your better half, best friends or family members, you’re probably looking for the perfect music to set the mood. Well, what’s better than a specially curated playlist of love songs by Levitt artists?! Tune in with the embedded player below to hear country, R&B, soul, blues and more, all connected by the soothing and harmonious sounds of love.

With spring just around the corner, and seasons of free Levitt concerts around the country just within reach, we hope you’re looking forward to enjoying some incredible live music with your loved ones too!

Highlights from the Levitt AMP 2018 Convening!

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  • 30 arts leaders, 15 small to mid-sized towns & cities and one common goal – to invigorate communities through free, live music!

Last week, the 2018 Levitt AMP Grantees joined the Levitt Foundation for the annual Levitt AMP convening at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles! It was an honor to host these inspiring leaders in the arts and share ideas throughout two days of panels, presentations and group discussions.

With 15 small to mid-sized towns and cities from California all the way to Rhode Island, this year’s grantees truly represent the breadth of community spirit and placemaking efforts happening across the country. The endless enthusiasm in the room led to fruitful brainstorming and some truly meaningful exchanges. Each attendee left the convening with a newfound sense of energy and inspiration–we can’t wait to see how each Levitt AMP Music Series unfolds with great success this summer and fall!

Congrats to Lost Bayou Ramblers and Billy Childs on their GRAMMY wins!

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Header_1_grammyThis past Sunday, nearly 20 million viewers tuned in to watch the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards live broadcast. Music giants across the industry flocked to Madison Square Garden in New York to honor their peers. This year, 15 GRAMMY nominations went to artists who had performed on Levitt stages and we were thrilled to see that two of those artists went on to take home those prestigious gilded gramophones!

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What we loved at the 2018 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show

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NAMM 2018

With almost 20,000 booths, interactive workshops, lectures and more, this year’s National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., was one of the biggest yet. What’s this convention all about? This exciting, four-day event showcases some of the latest innovations and state-of-the-art developments in music, stage and production technology. Musicians, producers, technicians, engineers, teachers and artists from all over the world convene once a year to network, get the latest industry scoop and, of course, spend hours geeking out over some high-quality gear. Here are some standouts from this year’s convention!

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Four reasons Blind Boys of Alabama’s legacy lives on

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To witness a performance by Blind Boys of Alabama is to witness history in the making—with a career spanning more than seven decades, countless accolades and a remarkable output of recorded music, Blind Boys has become synonymous with the genre of gospel itself. That’s why the upcoming Levitt National Tour, co-headlined by them and Southern rock luminary, Paul Thorn, is sure to be one of the most unique musical experiences Levitt audiences around the country will be treated to. Today, we’re recounting some of the most inspiring stories from Blind Boys’ time-honored lives as musicians!

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